Hat support for hat boxes



June 29, 1943.

L. CREPER 3, HAT SUPPORTJ FOR HAT BOXES Filed Sept. 25, 1940 j INVENTOR Lows reper Patented June 29, 1943 UNITED STATE s PATENT OFFICE;

HAT SUPPORT FOR HAT BOXES Louis Creper, Brooklyn, N. Y. Application September 25, 1940, Serial No. 358,196

2 Claims. (01. 206- 9) This invention relates to hat packages and p 1 l ticularly to the hat support inserted into a hat box for supporting a hat against movement and against crushing during the shipment and storage thereof.

Such supports or inserts as havebeen heretofore used in hat packages are objectionable in that the weight of the' hat pressing as it does on the supporting edg of a support causes the edge to indent, impress, or otherwise mark the, felt, or mar the finish of the felt of which the hat is made. In other words, the contact of the hat felt with the comparatively hard surface of this paper support disturbs the felted fibers in such a manner that a difference between the surface which was in contact with the support and that not in contact with the support is noticeable and the good appearance of thehat is adversely affected. Such marks made by the contact above-mentioned are difficult to eradicate.

My invention thereforecontemplate's the provision of a support sufficiently soft and pliable at the place where it contacts with the hat to yield 'under the pressure of the weight of the hat thereon more easily than the fibers of the hat felt;

and consequently of such nature that it does not mark or make any noticeable impression on that area of the hat resting on the support.

'My invention further contemplate the provision of a soft edging on a hat support, the edging being preferably of a textile material having a soft nap of such nature a to prevent marring of the hat felt by'that part of the support which is in contact therewith.

sion of a hat support having a body portion of paper or the like inexpensive material and having an edging made of textile material having a soft yieldable nap such as plush, velvet, or brushed or combed fabric, or knitted fabric. 7

The various objects of my invention will be clear from the description which follow and from the drawing, in which,

Fig. 1 is a vertical showing my new hat support as in use.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one form of the hat support designed to be interposed between a pair of hats in a hat package.

Fig. 4 is a similar view of the bottom support member of a hat package to which my invention has been applied.

Fig. 5 i a vertical section of the edge portion section of a hat package My invention further contemplates the pron- 3 5 it appears when 4 of the support showing the edging strip secured to the edge of the support by means of staples or stitching.

Fig. 6 is a similar view of a modified form of the same wherein the body of the support comprises two sheets and the peripheral edge portions of the edging strip are inserted between the sheets.

Fig. '7 is a similar view of a modified form of the same wherein the body member is inserted between the peripheral edge portions of the edging strip.

Fig. 8 is a developed fragmentary plan view of an edging strip showing the core member thereof and the textile strip surrounding the core.

Fig. 9 is a vertical fragmentary section simi-.

erably' made of a paper sheet bent into slightly tapered or conical form and having its ends secured together by suitable means such as the staples 15 (Fig. 4). Said support I4 is maintained in position within the container or box l3 by a suitable false bottom member 15 having an opening l1 therein intowhich the lower end of the member I4 is inserted. The hat III in up side .down position is arranged with the crown 18 thereof in the interior of the member l4 and the brim thereof resting on the upper edge of said member.

As has been hereinbefore indicated, if the brim of the hat in is permitted to rest directly onthe edge of the tubular support member [4, the hard surface of the materiahusually paper of which the support member is made, mars the finish of the felt of which the hat is made and makesa mark thereon diificult to erase. This is true regardless of how the edge of the member I4 is made and I believe the reason for this to be that the paper surface is comparatively unyielding or harder than the felt surface with the result that the weight of the hat causes the paper to disturb the position of the felt fibers of the hat and adjacent each other.

Having discovered that the comparatively hard surface of the support l4 causes the marring of the felt of which the hat is made, I have also discovered that the marking may be obviated by providing an edging material for the member M which is softer than the hat felt or which has fibers or a nap which is soft and yields more readily than the constituents of the felt. I therefore provide an edging strip for the member M of suitabletextile material having a soft nap which yield more readily than the felt of the hat. As illustrated, the edging strip I9 comprises marginal portions 20 and 2| (Fig. 8) which may be unbrushed or uncombed and substantially without a nap if desired, and a middle portion 22. Said middle portion is brushed or combed to raise the fibers 23 thereof into a plane at substantially right angles to the plane of the flat strip. If desired, however, the strip l9 may consist of plush, velvet. orany other material having a soft nap not likely to mar felt.

Preferably, the strip I9 is folded about the vfiller or core 24 to giVethe edging a generally cylindrical shape with marginal extensions 20!, 2! The strip may be readily secured to the member I4 while said hat member is in a flat state by stitching as 25 (Fig.

orsuitable cementa 26 (Fig.6) or by staples as 2'! (Fig. 7). The edging strip may also be secured in the various positions shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7 to the support member. That is, as

shown in Fig. 5, the flaps or marginal portions .20, 2| body portion 28 of the support. As shown in 'Fig'." 6; the support member may consist of two may both be arrangedon one side of the sheets as 29 and 30 between which the marginal portions 20, 2| "of the edging strip may be ar-' ranged and suitably secured. As shown in Fig. '7, the flaps 20, 2| may be secured on opposite sides of the body member 3|.

In any case, however, the fibers 23 at the nap project from the body portion of the support in allradial directions thereby forming an extremely soft surface on which the 'hat may rest, said surface yielding more easily than the fibers of the hat felt'and consequently completely preventing any marring 'eifect of that'area of the hat in contact -with the support.

Wheremore than one-hat is to be packed 'within'the; container 5 l3, a cylindrical support member 3215 arranged between adjacent hats as l0' and1ll or Ii and I2. Said member is comparatively narrow; but also made of the same material as'the body portion of the member I4, namely, paper or cardboard, and provided with softedging strips as l9 at both the upper and lower edges thereof. 7 The members 32 serve to support the hat brims and to maintain them out of "contact with each other and against relative shifting within the container. The edging strips l9jas' has been explained in connection With the laterally at the portion thereof at which presmember it serve to prevent any marking or marring of the hat area resting thereon.

As shown in Fig. 9, the lowermost support may assume a somewhat different shape than that disclosed in Figs. 1 and 2. The member 35 having an outer portion resting on the bottom of the box I3, is provided With a central conical portion 36 adapted to extend toward the lowermost hat 3'! and terminating in a cylindrical portion 38 arranged inside of the crown 39. Said portion 38 serves to properly position the hat Within the container. The brim 31 rests on the support member 40 which is provided at its upper edge with the edging trip I9 of the form hereinbefore described. The members 32 are interposed between adjacent hats 3'! and 4| and being identical with the corresponding member hereinbefore described, no further description thereof is deemed necessary.

It will be seen that I have provided a comparatively inexpensive hat support and hat package adequately preventing marring of the hats packed and stored or shipped therein and well designed to meet the requirements of practical use.

While I have shown and described certain specific embodiments of my invention, I do not intend to limit myself thereto, but desire to claim my invention as broadly as may be permitted by the'state of the prior art and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A hat support comprising the combination of an upright tubular paper sheet having an upper edge and a resilient'edging therefor, said edging comprising a soft core and a textile sheet covering therefor, said textile sheet covering and surrounding the core and having its edges secured to the upper edge of said paper heet, said covered core being located substantially entirely and bodily above the upper edge of said paper sheet and being yieldable laterally With respect .to the walls of said tubular paper sheet.

2. A hat support comprising thecombination of an upright tubularpaper sheet having an upper edge-and a resilient edging therefor, said of only secured to the upper edge of said paper sheet, the major part of said edging member being located entirely and bodily' above the upper edge of said sheet and swaying bodily and sure is alternately applied and released and thereby yielding bodily throughout the cross section of said last mentioned portion with respect to the walls of said sheet.

ouis CREPER. 

